Franco Malerba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Franco Egidio Malerba
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| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 19 July 1994 – 19 July 1999 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 October 1946 Busalla, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Liguria, Italy |
| Political party | Forza Italia |
| Education | University of Genoa, Doctor in Physics (1974) Yale University, Ph.D. in Economics |
| Awards | Schumpeter Prize |
Franco Egidio Malerba (born 10 October 1946) is an Italian astronaut and Member of the European Parliament. He was the very first citizen from Italy to travel into space. He was also elected to the European Parliament in 1994, where he served until 1999.
Contents
His Education Journey
Early Schooling
Franco Malerba finished his high school studies in 1965. This was called "Maturità classica" in Italy.
University Degrees
In 1970, he earned a degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Genoa in Italy. He specialized in telecommunications. Later, in 1974, he received a Doctor in Physics degree from the same university. For this, he focused on biophysics. He did research at the Italian National Research Council and in the United States.
Groups He Joined
Franco Malerba is a founding member of the Italian Space Society. This group helps promote space activities in Italy.
Exploring Science
Early Research Work
From 1970 to 1975, Franco Malerba worked as a research assistant. He studied how living cells work, especially membranes. He also taught about how computers and information work at the University of Genoa. In 1972, he helped develop ways to find signals using computers for sonar systems. He also designed special equipment to study how eyes see light.
Working with the European Space Agency
In 1977, the European Space Agency (ESA) chose Dr. Malerba. He was one of four candidates to be a Payload Specialist for the first Spacelab mission. After this, he joined ESA's Space Science Department. He helped develop and test an experiment called ES020 - PICPAB. This experiment studied plasma physics in space. It flew on the first Spacelab mission in 1983.
Working in Technology
Computer and Network Work
From 1976 to 1989, Franco Malerba worked for a company called Digital Equipment. He held different technical and management jobs. He mainly worked with computer systems that used many processors. He also worked on designing computer networks and telecommunications technology.
Serving His Country
Franco Malerba was a Reserve Officer in the Marina Militare, which is the Italian Navy. He served from 1974 to 1975. He taught science at the Naval Academy. He also worked on special communication systems for the navy.
Other Cool Skills
Scuba Diving and New Ventures
In 1984, Franco Malerba earned his scuba diving license. This means he can explore underwater. More recently, in 2021, he started a new company called SpaceV. This company is researching how to grow plants in space.
Learning to Fly
Getting His Pilot's License
Franco Malerba obtained his Private Pilot License in 1973. He got it in Washington, D.C., in the United States. He later got the equivalent Italian flying license.
His Space Journey
Becoming an Astronaut
In 1989, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and NASA chose Franco Malerba. He was selected as a Payload Specialist. After this, he joined ASI and trained at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In 1991, he was chosen as the main Payload Specialist for the TSS-1 Space Shuttle mission.
First Italian in Space
Franco Malerba made history as the first Italian citizen to fly into space. This happened on the STS-46 Space Shuttle mission. The mission lasted from July 31, 1992, to August 7, 1992. He spent nearly eight days in space. After his spaceflight, he continued to be involved with ASI's human spaceflight programs.
See also
In Spanish: Franco Malerba para niños
